While
in worship recently at a sweet baby dedication, we sang a song whose lyrics in
part came from Psalm 34:4. In fact, the pastor, to emphasize a point, used them
in a sermon. I dug a little deeper into the meaning of the verse.
In the NIV, it reads, “I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.” ” In other translations, it is "I sought the Lord, and he heard me." The lyrics have “He heard and He answered."
When
I went to the original Hebrew word, anah, for answered or heard in that verse, I found that it means both heard and answered.
For God to hear means for God to answer. I began thinking of all the times just
recently, where my prayers have been heard and answered. Many, many times. He
heard, and because he did, he answered.
That
Hebrew word also means shout, sing, testify, and bear witness. Honestly, it
kind of bends my brain that one word can hold so many nuances of meaning. But
when God answers our prayers, we should want to shout, sing, testify, and bear
witness.
Granted,
there are prayers I continue to pray, that from an earthly perspective seem to
have not been answered. Not yet anyway. But this verse gives me new hope. Because
he hears, he answers. Maybe not yet, maybe not the way we imagined, and maybe
not even in our lifetime. I’m also reminded of something a wise Bible Study
teacher says, “If God doesn’t give you what you want, he gives you something
better.”
I
can hear someone saying who has lost a loved one that God didn’t answer your
prayers for healing. I understand that. But I believe, and have experienced this
myself, that the something better that he gives us in that situation is
Himself. He gives us His presence. In this same Psalm 34, we find in verse eighteen,
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in
spirit.”
More
than twenty years ago, for a short time, I was part of a group of women who were
brought together and met regularly to pray. One of our requests seemed big and beyond
possibility, but we continued to persevere for the time we were together. The group evolved and others came
behind us. More years went by, and though I was not part of the group anymore,
I had the privilege of seeing the answer unfold in an unexpected and marvelous
way. I’ve tried to go back to members of that group who like me are not
involved anymore and let them know.
Y’all,
let’s take this with us from now on as we seek the Lord that His hearing and
his answering are bound together.
And
let’s remember to give a witness when we see God’s mighty working.